testimonies whilest among so many treacheries of hypocrites and horrible enterprises of Tyrantes he maruellously defendeth and preserueth his Churche It shall be our partes therefore to depend vpon him alone with a strong and vnshaken fayth to feare and worship him in spirit and in truth Whosoeuer shall this doe can neuer be confounded For this is the voyce of Christ Iesus Matth. 28. Beholde I am with you euen to the end of the worlde To him bee giuen blessing honour glory and dominion for euer and euer Amen Sermon 10. The text 28. ANd after this will I poure out my spirit vpon all fleshe and your sonnes and your daughters shal prophesy your old mē shal dreame dreames and your young men shall see visions 29 And also vpon the seruantes and vpon the handmaids in thōse dayes will I poure my spirit 30 And I will shewe wonders in the heauens and in the earth blood and fire and pillers of smoke 31 The sunne shal be turned into darknes the moone into blood before the great terrible day of the Lord come The argumēt vse of this present place Gene. 3. AS God promised vnto our first parentes his sonne Iesus Christ for a redeemer who being made man of a woman should crush and breake in pieces the heade of the serpent so did he afterward oftetimes repeate the same promise yea would haue al other to be groūded therō For inasmuch as in him he is recōciled with vs 2. Corin. 1. for his sake alone also is giuē to vs whatsoeuer good we receiue frō him As oft therfore as the prophets promise to the anciēt people either deliuerāce frō enemies or peace or plentiful increase of the earth or other tēporall benefits of like sort they alwayes for the most part enterlace in their promises prophesies as touching Christ to the end that by thē the godly may vnderstād that god wil not be wanting to his people of whō it behoued the promised redeemer of mankind to be borne nor that they should doubt of the promises of cōmon benefites when as God would perfourme greater matters in his sonne The selfsame thing doth Ioel obserue heere in this place who being about to comfort those that were altogether dismaid by feare of the Assyrian warre hitherto hee hath promised manye things which make to the happines of this life as plentie of corne graine victory peace trāquilitie so far forth that they might vnderstand that god would ratifie confirme his couenant dwell euen in the midst of thē These things that he might the better warrant withall warne the Iewes least sticking fast in these earthly commodities they should neglect the more excellent testimonies of Gods grace now he cōmeth down vnto Christs times Actes 2. of which that this place ought to be expounded the Apostle Peter expressely teacheth And there is in this place together with the things that follow to the end of this chapter a verye notable prophesie of Christs kingdōe which ought of vs diligently to be considered for that it conteineth many things the knowledge wherof is necessary vnto vs both to the attayning and retaining of saluation For first he prophesieth of the sending downe of the holy Ghost so teacheth what maner of kingdome Christ should haue vpō earth what we ought to seek for in it Secondly what the stat condition of this worlde will be whē Christ shal be exhibited he instructeth the godly against the offēce of the cros Thirdly he cōpriseth the order of our saluatiō in a short sum sheweth what we ought to doe if wee minde to holde faste the saluation which Christ hath purchased for vs. At this present wee will declare onely the two former partes and speake of the third part in the Sermon following Prophesiyng of Christes kingdome he beginneth with the sending down of the holy Ghost First and formost he prophesieth of the sending of the holy Ghost which shoulde be both more common and plentifull then euer at any time before Where first of all we haue to obserue that being about to prophesie of Christes kingdome amongest the innumerable benefites whiche God hath giuen vs in him hee chiefelye celebrateth the gifte of the holye Ghost The cause is for that next after Christ giuen vnto vs there could nothing be giuen more excellēt and more necessary then that spirit of whō heere he speaketh For albeit al the treasures of Gods grace goodnes be giuē vnto vs in Christ Iesus yet can wee by no meanes enioy them without the gift of the holy Ghost 1. Cori. 2. Rom. 7. For why naturally we abhor from Gods kingdome we perceiue not the misteries therof we are vanquished with the entisemēts of sinne we yeeld giue ouer to temptatiōs to the crosse therfore we either apprehēd not saluatiō in Christ or if we do apprehend it yet wee hold it not fast But al these things the holy Ghost remedieth who by the seede of the eternal word of God begetteth vs againe 1. Pet. 1. Ioan. 3. illuminateth our mindes and inflameth them with the loue of heauenly thinges resisteth the affections of the fleshe in temptations is a most certaine pledge of saluation 2. Cor. 1.5 and mourning vnder the crosse confirmeth vs with most effectuall cōsolatiōs Not without cause therfore doth the Prophet chiefly cōmend his gift yea by this meanes hee assureth thē of euerlasting saluation vnto whome hytherto hee had promised earthly and temporall benefites In the meane time this order of the prophet admonisheth vs The conditiō of Christes kingdome what ought to bee sought for in it what the state and condition of Christes kingdome is vpon earth and what wee ought to hope looke for in it This thing is very necessary to be obserued For in as much as a great number doe gape onely after earthly thinges and vnder colour of Christian libertie hunt eyther for riches and promotions or els seeke the libertie of the flesh and freedome of sinning the faith commonly which they professe with their mouthes they denie in their liues in the time of triall and persecution shamefully shrinke and fall away But the kingdome of Christe is not of this worlde as hee himselfe protesteth vnto Pilate but consisteth in ioy of the holy ghost Ioan. 18. Rom. 14. and offereth those thinges vnto vs which make to the inheritance of the heauenly life Let vs therefore couet after Spirituall giftes to the ende that being renewed and borne again in him we may liue a life worthy the profession of our faith by the crosse couragiously wrastle foorth to the heauenly kingdome The holy ghoste is promised vnto al. Moreouer the Prophet expresseth the maner of this sending and who they are that shal be partakers of the holy Ghoste I will powre out saith hee my spirite vpon all fleshe c. By the worde of powring out hee promiseth
24. and of this preaching hee appointeth two parts to witte repentance and remission of sinnes The very selfe same also do the examples teach which are set foorth in the Ministers of the newe Testament Certesse the first of them Iohn Baptist dealt more hardly and seuerely with none then with the Pharisees whose authoritie at that time was greatest in matters of religioÌ„ The same thought good not to spare euen Herode himselfe Math. 3. Luke 3. when as hauing forgotten both his owne dignitie and publike honestie hee kept to himselfe his brothers wife What shoulde wee say of Christe Mark 6. Math. 15. 21.23 Luke 11. Ioan. 8. Act. 2.3 c. who beeing wont to deale very gently with the people yet against the Priestes and Scribes inueigheth as I may so say with full sayle And the Apostles folowing his example doe publikelye in their Sermons hitte the Priestes in the teeth with their sinne of murthering the Sonne of GOD. Neither did the dignitie of their order defende them which they were not ignorant was long before ordeined of GOD and full of the Mysteries of Christe Iesus Loke distinct 40. cap. Papa Detestable therefore is the pride of the Romish Bishops which will bee checked and controused of none although they both neglect their office and carry away innumerable soules to hell Yea when as they treade all holy thinges vnder foote make all religion their owne gaine and offer the same to the Iewes Turkes to bee laughed to scorne they persesecute all those with fyre and sworde that couet the restitution of sounde doctrine and the pure Seruice and worship of GOD. Compâ—â—â—ns of these men are all those princes and magistrates made which whilest they openly sinne will yet also suffer themselues to bee admonished and reprooued of none But we reade howe Dauid Ezechias Iosias afterwarde Theodosius were farre otherwise minded who in this behalfe procured to them selues most excellent commendation and to their kingdoms assured peace for that they set the worde of God before their eyes to be folowed and paciently suffered the rebuke thereof c. He instituteth publike repeÌ„tance But after that hee hath taught what ought priuately to bee done of euery of the Priestes nowe he telleth them what they shoulde doe publikely and so compriseth in fewe woordes whatsoeuer belongeth to publike repentance a thing very needefull in common calamities First sanctifie sayth he a fast That is to say 1. A fast proclaime such a fast as all men at once forsaking al their prophane studies delightes may bende themselues onely to those things that serue to Gods glory and the leading of a holy and Christian conuersation for by the name of Fasting the Scripture vnderstandeth not a superstitious abstinence which consisteth in the difference of meats and obseruation of certaine dayes such as of late tymes was brought in by mens traditions but it requireth a discipline where by the pride and lust of our fleshe may be tamed and kept vnder This discipline is extended to all those thinges that cause the flesh to become more proude or fierce whether the same bee meate or drinke or apparell or also company with our wiues asit shal appeare in the second Chapter There can therefore heere no certaine lawes bee prescribed but euery man must be a law to himselfe whilest he obserueth the nature and disposition of his owne flesh and withdraweth the nourishments of lust from the same Neither also are these thinges required to this ende and purpose as though they merited any thing of themselues for the kingdome of God is not meate and drinke Rom. 14. but righteousnes and peace and ioye in the holy Ghost And the saying of the Lorde is wel knowen in the Prophet When ye fast ye fast to your selues and when yee eate Zach. 7. yee eate to your selues c But that the spirite myght haue and enioye this power and dominion in vs least that the fleshe preuayling ouer it shoulde disturbbe and put bye the exercise of repentance Whiche also is the cause that it is not tyed or bounde to anye certayne dayes but is then commaunded when eyther wee stande in neede of publique repentaunce for speciall causes or else wee our selues priuately feele the power of the spirite to decay and waxe weake in vs so farre foorth that Christe whiche in the brydegrome of our soules may seeme to bee departed and gone fromvs of whiche thyng hee hym selfe in the Gospell inueyghyng agaynst the Pharisaical fastes Math. 9. putteth vs in mynde Ioel therefore prescribeth no superstitious thyng but hee vegeth this at their handes that reiectyng the baites and entysementes of sinne they woulde prepare them selues vnto prayer and amendemente of lyfe But some man may say Why wylleth hee a faste to be publikely proclaymed Math. 6. when as Christ commandeth vs to hide also conceale our fastes where we must marke and obserue that some fastes are priuate and other some publike And those that are taken in hande for priuate causes ought as Christe teacheth to be closely handled least wee shoulde seeme to seeke our own priuate glory and a vaine estimation of holines with the people There is another consideration to bee had of publike fastes whiche serue to the publike confession of sinnes repentance suche as in this place Ioel commaundeth and such as that was also which wee reade the king of the Niniuites caused to be proclaymed And that these shoulde bee done openly Ion. 3. it is requisite for many causes for so are mens mindes the more stirred vp by the examples of other and those are euen for shame of the worlde kept from sinning which were before touched with no religion agayne it is meete and conuenient that such as were not ashamed to sinne openly shoulde also not be ashamed of open repentance whereby they may craue mercye at Gods hand Secondly 2. Holy assemblies he sayeth Call a solemne assembly And immediatly he setteth bowâ— who they are whither they should be called Gather the Elders and all the inhabitantes of the lande into the house of the Lord your God He will haue the Elders to be called by the name of whom are vnderstood as many as beeing placed in anie dignitie doe surmount other in authoritie And he hath a speciall eye vnto these because that by the example of such publik asseÌ„blies repentance is greatly furthered Yet he adioyneth vnto theÌ„ al other states degrees whatsoeuer for why it is coÌ„uenient that seeing al together haue by sinning prouoked God vnto anger all likewise shoulde bee carefull howe to appease the same But he will haue these assemblies to be made in the Temple and that because it had excellent promises as appeareth in the first booke of the Kings 1. King 8. not verely for the gorgious building thereof but for that as well the Temple it selfe as also the things that were done in it by the appointâ—◠〈◊〉 of the
Ioel. For hee in the first part of this Sermon terrified the Iewes with a greeuous denuntiation of the punishmentes to the ende they might the better bee stirred vp to repentance Secondly he declared the true way and maner of repentaÌ„ce Wherunto nowe in the thirde place hee addeth a consolation whereby hee telleth them that they shall not looze their labour if they turne vnto God for why he is gracious and mercifull so as hee will heare their prayers and deliuer them out of danger The historie agreeth very well with the promise which testifieth that all this was perfourmed with singuler fidelitie These things ought to comfort us in temptations and therewithall to awaken vs least wee despise Gods goodnes wherthrough hee inuiteth vs no lesse in those dayâ—â— of repentance But it shall bee pâ—â—â—â—table to consider euery thing in oâ—der The cause of reconcilemâ—â— with god c. First hee sheweth the cause wherefore GOD woulde bee reconciled vnto them namely his free mercy and goodnes The Lorde saith hee will bee ielous ouer his laâ—de c. Nowe ielousie is that loue whereby the husbande through the secrete prouâ—cation of the spirite is so affected thâ—â—â—â—es his wife that he cannot abide that shee shoulde either bee subiect vnto other â—eâ— or iniuriously deaâ—â— withal of others This ielousie the Sâ—â—â—pture attributeth â—nto God not that any such affections or passions doe light vpon him but that it â—â—ght expresse the vehemencie of Gods â—oue towarde vs which is such so great Ephe. 5. that tooke what is doone to his Churche whereof hee accounteth as of his spoust hee deemeth done vnto himselfe which he hiâ—selfe witnesseth in Zacharie saying Zach. 2. Hee that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye And hytherto maketh it that hee calleth the lande of the Iewes his land and the people his people namely that as he had made them his people so had he consecrated their laâ—de to himselfe to the ende is might bee aâ— yâ—t woulde say the certaine seate of his worship and religion according to that saying of the Psalme God is knowen in Iury c. Psal 7â— But if ye aske from whence that zeale or ielousie of God commeth and why hee chose the Iewes before other people Wee can render no other cause then his meere loue and free mercy whereof Moses Deut. 7.8.9 Ezech. 16. also oftentimes admonished them and himselfe in Ezechiel vnder the parable of a marriage expresly testifieth The Prophet therefore by the mention of ielousie sendeth them backe to Gods goodnesse least for the doctrines sake of repentance which hee had premised they shoulde attribute any thing to their owne merits But the self same is the state and condition of vs all For why if GOD did not with most feruent zeale maintaine and defende our saluation it were impossible among so many greeuous assaultes of the Deuil and of the worlde for any man to bee safe eyther in body or soule And haue wee deserued that hee shoulde burne with so greate zeale for vs No verily For what can they deserue Psal 51. that are conceiued and borne in sinne and that haue with themselues drawen the earth and euen this whole frame of the worlde into cursednesse Gene. 3. For albeit wee beeing wakened sometimes eyther by the admonitions of Gods word or by punishments doe conuert vnto him yet is there no merite or worthines of this conuersion before God sith hee himselfe is the authour and chiefe cause thereof in vs. It becommeth vs therefore to acknowledge the grace of GOD and to ascribe vnto this alone whatsoeuer good is in vs which is want to bee any furtherance to our saluation This thing serueth for our instruction that wee also may loue GOD againe and with no lesse zeale and feruencie propagate and set foorth his glory But especially heereupon ought a comforte to bee raysed in temptations in as muche as we heare that GOD keepeth still his zeale men towardes those and acknowledgeth them still for his people whome he afflicteth and punisheth for their sinnes For thereby it appeareth hewe that afflictions are in no wise the tokens of an enemilike â—unde in God but rather doe testifie of his fatherly good will towardes vs. For this doth the corruption of our nature require which cannot otherwise be brweled and tamed For why if hee teache vs by his worde wee vnderstand not the teacher If hee admonish vs we suppose this belongs not vnto vs. Pro. 3. If hee reprooue vs wee complaine that wee haue wrong offered vs. If he threaten vs wee scoffe and abuse his long sufferance Hee is inforced therefore to imitate trustie and faithful fathers who do vse to correct their stubborne disobedient children so much the more sharply and seuerely least they shoulde perishe and come to nought Let vs therefore patiently abide his hande and immediatly the thinges will further vs to saluatâ—â—â— that seemed 〈◊〉 the first to bee intollerable See Paule to the Heb. 12. and 1. Coâ—inth 11. The effects of our reconcilement with God Howheit vnto this promise hee adioyneth the effects or fruites of the saide reconciliation to the intent hee might proue in very deede that they should haue God fauourable vnto them And that the promise might bee the more certaine hee bringeth in God himselfe answering to the prayers and complaints of the people as wee hearde of late First Behold saith hee I will sende you corne and wine and oyle and you shall bee satisfied therewith These thinges are set against the penurie and hunger which they suffered in most greeâ—ous wise and in three fores hee comprehendeth all that belongeth to mans sustenance And the particle Beholde signifieth a sodaine and vnloâ—ked for plentie of thinges By which place we are admonished that sustenance and all the fruites of the earth are giuen vnto vs of God Genâ— 3. For although it â—ehoâ—eth the earth to bee tilled by the labours of mens handes yet shall it be tilled in vaine vnlesse God blesse both it and our labours For why 1. Cor. 3. neither is hee that planteth nor hee that watereth â—â—y thing saith Saint Paule but God that giueth the increase Let vs therefore acknowledge Gods grace and goodnesse and modestly and soberly vse the giftes that hee giueth vs. Againe let vs not despaire if at any time wee bee pinched with penurie and the perill of hunger hang ouer our heads Math. 6.10 Luke 12. Psal 147. For hee that by his liberalitie prouideth for the wilde beastes and foules of the ayre and feedeth the young Rauens that call vpon him wyll by no meanes neglect those whome hee hath bought with the blood of his own sonne The same GOD can also beyond all expectation helpe and suceour them vpon the sodaine that stande in need if it so seemeth good vnto him For why if you consider the thinges that are heere spoken I doubt not but they will seeme incredible to a great